Canada could become carbon neutral by 2040

Canada is one of the leading nations in the Western Hemisphere: level of freedom, economic success, membership in international organizations.

The country, of course, is looking to the future: one of its most ambitious goals is to become carbon-neutral by 2050. However, there are many challenges along the way.

Canada is now building a huge oil pipeline across the country that has become five times more expensive than intended. And forest fires, that started in Alberta and later spread to Quebec and Nova Scotia, are awfully demaging for the environment.

Nevertheless, Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson assured everybody that no matter what Canada not only has the ability to meet the 2050 Plan, but to surpass it. The Government of Canada's current goal is to reach zero emissions, the point at which the amount of greenhouse gases, the well-known CO2, is equal to the amount of CO2 that can be "removed" from the air.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) plays an enormous role in solving big environmental problems. This is a group of influential experts who offer solutions to global environmental problems. 

In addition, two months ago, following their report, UN Secretary General from Portugal Antonio Gutteres called for a slight "shift" in the timeline of the 2050 Plan so that developed countries can achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.

“Let’s be clear, getting to net zero in an economy like Canada's, which is big and cold, is not simple,” the minister added. “Our target is 2050. But we are always, as I say, looking for ways in which to accelerate the progress that we can make.”

Illustrating his speech with an example, the minister said that Alberta refused to use coal in the province ahead of schedule.